Kimchi Lasagne

Kimchi Lasagne

Kimchi Lasagne
Made with Gluten-Free Lasagne Noodles
Creamy Spicy Cabbage Kimchi Sauce with Beef

Funky tangy kimchi makes a flavor bomb of lasagna. Kimchi’s spicy, salty, sweet, sour, bitter, umami, fermented flavors simmered into a creamy sauce with ground sirloin and gochugaru (Korean red chili powder) replaces the ubiquitous tomato sauce in this fusion-style lasagna.

My friends at Explore Cuisine make an extraordinary noodle for lasagna recipes. It is produced in Italy of green lentil flour (50%), green pea flour, and brown rice flour. These no-boil noodles soak up sauce to two-and-a-half times their size to a perfect al dente texture.

The noodles are full of plant-based pea protein, a lovely olive-green color, organic and gluten-free. They are also higher in fiber and lower in carbs than traditional lasagna noodles.

The lasagna is garnished with shilgochu (Korean chili threads), scallion, and toasted sesame seeds for a striking garnish adding texture and spice. Shilgochu are finely-sliced dried chilis that are reddish-brown in color with smoky red pepper and fruity flavors, and a medium degree of heat.

Exploding with flavor and seasoned with a secret ingredient (you’ll have to see below), this lasagna paired with makkoli (Korean rice wine) is perfect for a rainy (or snowy) winter day.

Kimchi Lasagne Recipe

Kimchi Lasagne

Ingredients:

1 box – 9 sheets Explore Asian Gluten-Free Green Lentil Lasagne
1 lb. ground sirloin – browned, drained, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 T. olive oil
3 garlic cloves – minced
14 oz. cabbage kimchi, including juice – chopped
2 T. mirin (high quality)
1 T. gochugaru (Korean red chili powder)
2 T. gluten-free flour (I use quinoa flour)
3 c. milk – warmed
Red Boat fish sauce to taste (the secret ingredient)
ricotta mixture (see below)
2 c. mozzarella, shredded
1/4 c. parmesan, grated

Kimchi Lasagne

Ricotta Mixture

15 oz. ricotta
1/4 c. parmesan, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
dash or two of grated nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Kimchi Lasagne

Kimchi Sauce

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, briefly sauté garlic in oil then add kimchi and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mirin and gochugaru – stir to cook another couple of minutes. Sprinkle flour over the kimchi mixture, stir to cook the flour. Slowly add milk, stirring, and bring to a simmer. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add beef to heat through. Add Red Boat fish sauce to taste (carefully, it is salty).

Kimchi Lasagne

Lasagna Composition

Kimchi Lasagne

Spread 1/2 cup of just the liquid of the kimchi sauce over the bottom of a greased lasagna baking dish. Place 3 sheets of no-boil lasagna noodles over the sauce in a single layer. Top lasagna noodles with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture. Ladle 1/2 of the remaining kimchi sauce on top of the ricotta. Layer with 1/3 of the mozzarella. Top mozzarella with 3 more sheets of lasagna noodles and build the second layer the same way.

For the third layer, top the mozzarella with 3 lasagna sheets. Spread the remaining ricotta mixture on top. Top with remaining mozzarella. Sprinkle with 1/4 c. Parmesan.

Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, covered with foil. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes until the lasagna is bubbling hot. Remove from oven and let sit at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Kimchi Lasagne

Layers Look Like This Top Down:

Garnish
Parmesan
Mozzarella
Ricotta Mixture
Lasagna Noodles
Mozzarella
Kimchi Beef Sauce
Ricotta Mixture
Lasagne Noodles
Mozzarella
Kimchi Beef Sauce
Ricotta Mixture
Lasagne Noodles
Kimchi Sauce (just liquid)

Garnish

Kimchi Lasagne

  • chili threads aka shredded red pepper
  • thinly sliced scallion
  • toasted sesame seeds

Sprinkle garnishes over the top.

Kimchi Lasagne

A note to my friends who tried the first version of this lasagna on SuperBowl Sunday: thank you for your enthusiasm and for being my guinea pigs! This is the updated recipe, even more flavorful (due to secret ingredient) and a bit more juicy.

Mac n Cheese

Fans of Kimchi Lasagne might like to try my  recipe for Korean Macaroni and Cheese with Beef, Kimchi, and Cheddar.

Korean Macaroni and Cheese

(recipe here)

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